Consumer Knowledge: Effects on Evaluation Strategies Mediating Consumer Judgments
Abstract
This study suggests that category-based evaluative responses supplement the piecemeal-based evaluation processes more often studied in Consumer Research. The alternative modes of processing were found to be contingent upon the match/mismatch of information to category expectations. Compared to piecemeal (mismatch) processing, category-based (match) processing resulted in faster impression formation times, more verbalizations related to the product category, fewer verbalizations related to the product's attributes, and fewer references to subtypes. Expertise exaggerated these effects. T he relevance of understanding consumer infor-mation processing strategies has been well estab-lished (Bettman 1979; Wright 1975). One important question involving processing strategies is whether product attributes are reviewed, evaluated, and com-bined to yield an overall evaluation, or whether some simpler processes mediate final judgments and choices.
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Premium users are likely to emphasize attribute-level factors in their decision making.
“As a result, because of their first-hand information about the additional features, premium users are likely to emphasize attribute-level factors in their decision making (Sujan, 1985).”
From What drives subscribing to premium in freemium services? A consumer value‐based view of differences between upgrading to and staying with premium (2020) · cites this paper as Sujan, 1985
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“As a result, because of their first-hand information about the additional features, premium users are likely to emphasize attribute-level factors in their decision making (Sujan, 1985).”
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- Authors
- Sujan, M.
- Affiliations
- Pennsylvania State University (US)
- Corresponding author
- Sujan, Mita
- Venue
- Journal of Consumer Research
- Publisher
- Oxford University Press (OUP)
- Published
- 1985-06
- Volume
- 12
- Issue
- 1
- Pages
- 31
- ISSN
- 0093-5301 (ISSN-L)
- 1537-5277
- OpenAlex
- W2077597346
- Cited by
- 1,106
- References
- 2
- Citations by year
- 2026: 16 · 2025: 10 · 2024: 24 · 2023: 17 · 2022: 31 · 2021: 26 · 2020: 32 · 2019: 37 · 2018: 38 · 2017: 33 · 2016: 46 · 2015: 45 · 2014: 42 · 2013: 27 · 2012: 51
- FWCI
- 44.51
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Journal of Consumer Research (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Business, Management and Accounting › Marketing › Consumer Behavior and Marketing Influence
- Social Sciences › Business, Management and Accounting › Marketing › Consumer Market Behavior and Pricing
- Social Sciences › Decision Sciences › General Decision Sciences › Decision-Making and Behavioral Economics
- Keywords
- consumer knowledge, assessment methods, consumer judgment, impression formation, information processing, expertise, verbalization, product attributes, subtypes
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